Kinder Morgan to Pay $21 Billion for El Paso

Further proof that natural gas infrastructure remains at the forefront of the US energy market – Kinder Morgan announced it is buying El Paso Energy for a whopping $21 Billion in cash and stock.  This will make Kinder Morgan, Inc. the largest pipeline operator (and fourth-biggest energy company) in the US.  This is a huge move for KM, as they will be able to better leverage shale gas plays with this new network of pipelines.